


Eternal Return

by ConesOfDunshire



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Apocalypse, Apocalypse prompt, BokuAka Week, Eternal Return, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 01:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8777539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConesOfDunshire/pseuds/ConesOfDunshire
Summary: It's just like any other day. // Day 2-Apocalypse





	

Akaashi cracked open his eyes, wishing he’d remembered to close the blinds the night before. The sunlight blearing through the window was blinding. He smashed his face into his pillow with a frustrated huff. Somewhere nearby, there was a dog barking. And if he listened hard enough, he thought he could hear his mother downstairs making breakfast.

Just as he thought he might be able to go back to sleep for a few more minutes, his phone vibrated on the side table. Two short buzzes indicated it was a Line message. Sure, he could ignore it. But his hand was reaching for the phone before giving it a second thought. It was too bright as he tapped the message open, and he had to squint against the light to read it.

_> >Bokuto: AKAAAAAAAAASHI! WAKE UP U GOTTA TOSS TO ME BEFOR PRACTICE OR ELSE WERE NOT GUNNA WIN AT NATIONALS!!!_

Akaashi typed back a quick reply before rolling out of bed and padding into the bathroom.

_> >Akaashi: I’ll be there shortly, Bokuto-san._

Yes. It was just like any other morning.

Though he was decidedly not a morning person, Akaashi was dressed, caffeinated, and heading out the door right on time—which actually meant he was quite early by anyone else’s standards. But he couldn’t keep Bokuto waiting. His phone was already going off in his pocket, meaning that even though he was early, it wasn’t early enough for Bokuto. He didn’t even bother reading the messages. He knew what they’d say.

A few blocks away from the school, Bokuto was waiting for him on the corner. He’d already rolled up the sleeves of his blazer, and he held his phone in his hands, thumbs working furiously to tap out a message. His tongue was poking out from between his teeth. Even from half a block away, Akaashi could see it. He tried hard not to stare at it.

“Your messages won’t move me along any faster,” Akaashi called, even as he felt his pocket vibrating again.

Bokuto’s head snapped up so quick, it actually cracked. He fixed Akaashi with his wide-eyed gaze. A smile spread across his face immediately. “Yeah, but they got you here!” he called with delight, stuffing his phone into the pocket of his pants. “You’d probably still be sleeping if I didn’t ride ya.”

Akaashi just hummed, and Bokuto fell into stride next to them as they headed toward the school. Never one to revel in the silence, Bokuto launched into a passionate speech that began with the importance of an extensive morning practice and somehow led to Bokuto talking about his morning run—because of course he’d already gotten in a morning run. Akaashi just nodded, occasionally interjecting with a stray thought or sarcastic quip that made Bokuto whine. He’d heard the speech so many times, he had it memorized. It felt so familiar, so comforting. Akaashi knew there were a dwindling number of days left for them to make this walk together. Bokuto would be graduating at the end of this year, and every morning, Akaashi found himself wishing the walk was just a little longer.

As usual, they beat the rest of the team to the gym and managed to get in about thirty minutes of spiking practice—though it wasn’t as though Bokuto needed it. It only took about five warm up serves before his form was perfect. Akaashi knew he should be focusing more on the toss, on matching perfectly to Bokuto’s jumps. He just couldn’t help himself as he watched Bokuto leave the floor, looking almost like he was suspended in midair waiting for the ball to meet his palm. During one of the gravity-defying leaps, Akaashi realized a moment too late that he’d forgotten to actually send the toss to Bokuto, catching the ball between his outstretched fingers instead. When Bokuto landed back on the ground, he looked to Akaashi in confusion.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” was all Akaashi could come up with in the moment.

“Was my form off?” Bokuto asked, staring down at his hand for some reason. “It felt pretty good. The jump was fine…”

“It wasn’t you,” Akaashi said quickly. “It was… I… Let’s try it again.”

Akaashi desperately wished that Bokuto would look away from him. He could feel warmth spreading across his face, down the back of his neck. Even from this distance, Bokuto could surely see his blush. It seemed as though Bokuto was appraising him, staring hard at his face. Bokuto’s lips pursed in thought. Now it was like he was looking past Akaashi, thinking hard.

And then, the moment was interrupted when the door opened and footsteps pounded over the threshold as the rest of the team made their way inside the gym.

“God, do you guys ever sleep?” Konoha asked exasperatedly. “You’re here before morning practice, you’re here when we leave at night. It’s like you live here.”

“Don’t give Bokuto any ideas, he’ll take you seriously,” Sarukui teased.

“Akaashi-kun, what are we working on this morning?” Washio asked quietly, dragging a cart of balls behind him.

“R-receiving,” Akaashi replied tentatively, still trying to recover from his earlier embarrassment. Whether or not he was relieved by the team’s sudden arrival, he wasn’t sure. But at least it pulled the attention away from him.

“Komi’s sick today,” Shirofuku noted over her shoulder as she bent over, rooting around in her bag.

A chorus of groans sounded through the group. No one was excited to take his place on the receiving line. He was usually the one partnered with Bokuto since his were the most difficult spikes to return. Akaashi, meanwhile, felt as though he’d been stricken with déjà vu. He couldn’t place the feeling, really, just the nagging thought that this had happened recently. So he decided to let it pass without comment.

Bokuto, on the other hand, still looked lost in thought. He was staring at the rest of the team now, panning from Konoha to Sarukui to Washio to Shirofuku. His mouth was open now. Judging by the crease of his brow, he was definitely thinking too hard about something. When his gaze met Akaashi’s once more, his mouth snapped shut abruptly. Akaashi tipped his head in a silent question. It looked like Bokuto wanted to say something…

“Can you guys, like, ogle each other later?” Konoha asked suddenly, the proximity of his voice to Akaashi’s ear making Akaashi jump. “Preferably when we’re all gone and you’re not in the gym?”

That got Bokuto’s full attention, and he spluttered a response that sounded more like a lawn mower struggling to start up than an actual person. Again, the attention was diverted away from Akaashi, allowing practice to begin with only a little more teasing. And again, Akaashi felt that surge of déjà vu.

It was a painfully boring day, though that was pretty much par for the course now that he’d grown accustomed to his life with the volleyball team—and more notably, with Bokuto. His classes felt boring, and the people around him even more so. It was like a welcome relief when Bokuto thundered into the classroom at lunchtime, dragging him by the arm to their meeting with the team’s faculty advisor. Akaashi wouldn’t lie, the feeling of Bokuto’s arm hooked around his was something he could never quite get used to. It always made his skin crackle with energy just beneath the surface, like Bokuto’s touch might actually make him explode. That feeling was also familiar. And he wanted to hold on to it for as long as he could.

But there was something strange going on. Something was wrong with Bokuto. He was a lot quieter today than usual. When Akaashi stole sidelong glances at him during their meeting, while they were eating lunch, even when they were working on their serves during practice, Bokuto seemed like he was lost in thought. He wasn’t very talkative and sometimes Akaashi would catch him just staring off into the distance, his brows drawn together and lips pursed. He was still thinking hard about something. Even a joke from Konoha about hurting himself if he thought too hard wasn’t enough to pull him from his reverie.

Akaashi waited until they were alone again for their evening post-practice session of tossing and spiking to finally bring it up. “You’ve been awfully quiet today,” he noted simply as they collected the balls back into the cart.

“Yeah, I guess,” Bokuto agreed. His voice was still distant. When Akaashi looked up at him, he was staring at the volleyball in his hands like it might hold the answers to all life’s questions. Akaashi approached him slowly.

“Is something wrong?” Akaashi asked.

Bokuto’s head tipped up, eyes roving up Akaashi’s body and meeting his gaze.“Hey… Akaashi?”

Akaashi’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “Yes?” he replied tentatively.

“Do you feel like… Maybe we… I dunno, like… Maybe we’ve been here before?” Bokuto asked, seeming to trip over his words.

“Like in the gym? Is that a serious question?”

Bokuto’s frown deepened. He dropped the volleyball and let it bounce away as he took a step toward Akaashi, whose first instinct was to take a matching step back. But he didn’t. He stood his ground as Bokuto approached. Bokuto was close now, close enough to touch. Akaashi fought the urge to actually reach out and touch him.

“Not just the gym,” Bokuto corrected. “Like… Everything.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Akaashi replied.

Another step forward and Bokuto was directly in front of Akaashi. It’s not as though he was much bigger than Akaashi, but right now, he seemed giant. Akaashi swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. Why were his hands sweating? Was he shaking?

“B… Bokuto-san…”

“I just… I need to do something,” Bokuto mumbled.

And before Akaashi could ask just what that something was, Bokuto leaned forward, cupped Akaashi’s face, and kissed him. Akaashi’s lips parted in surprise, and Bokuto took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, pressing a little deeper. It was warm and soft and gentle, and a hum of contentment left Akaashi’s mouth, muffled by Bokuto’s tongue.

It was over in an instant, Bokuto backing up so fast he almost tripped over his own feet. He looked horrified, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, a hand lifting to fist in his wild hair. Akaashi was instantly sure he’d messed up somehow. Was he that bad of a kisser? He didn’t even feel like he’d done anything. Though maybe that was part of the problem.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto breathed.

“You… You kissed me,” Akaashi said lamely.

Bokuto nodded shakily. “Yeah, I had to know.”

“You kissed me,” Akaashi repeated. “You’ve… You’ve never done that before.”

“But that’s the thing,” Bokuto said, his face unreadable. “I… I think I have.”

This time, when Bokuto stepped forward, Akaashi _did_ step back. He was on the defensive. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Akaashi…” Bokuto sounded desperate as he stepped forward again. “Think about it for a sec. Today, we… When we were practicing together this morning, and you were staring at me. That kinda felt familiar, right? And Komi’s sick again? How long has he been sick? And Konoha’s jokes? He’s made them all before, right?”

“I…” Akaashi trailed off. He had to admit, it all felt almost tediously familiar. Their meeting with the advisor, their lunch together on the roof, even the lessons he’d sat through all day… It really was like he’d experienced it all before.

“And the kiss,” Bokuto continued. He sounded frenzied now as he drew up to Akaashi once more. “This… This isn’t the first time I’ve kissed you. I… I remember… I remember what your lips felt like, and how soft your hair was when I put my fingers through it.” Bokuto emphasized that by carding a hand through Akaashi’s hair. When Akaashi leaned unconsciously into the touch, Bokuto gasped. “And that too! I remember that you did that!”

“I… I do too,” Akaashi breathed. He knew this feeling, the total contentment of Bokuto’s fingers in his hair. “But… Why?”

Bokuto’s eyes were wide, almost manic. “Akaashi, I… I think we lived this day before. I think maybe it’s been today for a really long time.”

Akaashi wanted desperately to counter Bokuto’s statement. It was impossible. This wasn’t some sci-fi movie. It was real life! Days didn’t just repeat themselves. But then again… Akaashi thought back through their years together, and he was absolutely sure he’d never kissed Bokuto before today. So then, why was it so familiar? Why was the feel of Bokuto’s lips against his own like breaking through the surface of water, like taking a breath of the air he remembered so vividly?

If he’d never kissed Bokuto before, then why did it feel like he’d been kissing him for years?

“What’s happening?” Akaashi asked, his voice cracking around the words.

“I don’t know,” Bokuto sighed. “I can’t… I can’t remember anything before today. It’s like I woke up this morning, and that was it, like that’s all there’s ever been. I can’t describe it, but—“

“No,” Akaashi cut him off, his voice rising in a panic. “I can’t remember anything either. What… What is this? What happened to us? Is it real? I can’t—“

“Hey,” Bokuto said, leaning forward and resting his forehead against Akaashi’s. “It’s okay. We’re okay. We’re gonna… We’re gonna be fine, yeah? We just have to… To figure this out together.”

Akaashi tried to focus on Bokuto’s eyes. He looked scared, but that was only to be expected. At least he looked a little more put together than Akaashi felt. Akaashi’s hands were still shaking, and he reached out for Bokuto’s hands desperately. Like he was making sure Bokuto was still there.

“What if…” Akaashi paused, tried to think through his words. “What if it doesn’t end?”

Bokuto opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come. What was there to say? They couldn’t remember anything beyond today, so how could they really know anything? The thought was terrifying. Akaashi’s fingers curled around Bokuto’s a little tighter.

“Can we go back to your house?” Bokuto asked suddenly.

Akaashi found it impossible to use his voice, so he just nodded. They were silent the entire walk back to the house, though their hands were still clasped together tightly, almost like they were afraid to let go. Like letting go might mean the other would disappear.

Akaashi’s mother fussed over them when they got home, asking them what they wanted to eat and offering to run the bath. But neither of them were hungry, and they didn’t want to part long enough to actually bathe. Though Akaashi’s mother didn’t much like that, she chose not to question it either. In fact, she didn’t say much at all when she saw their fingers intertwined.

“Do you think your mom was mad that we were holding hands?” Bokuto asked when they were safely barricaded in Akaashi’s room. He was pulling on one of Akaashi’s roomier shirts—whichon him, was still pretty tight.

Akaashi just shrugged. He didn’t even wait for Bokuto to finish getting dressed before turning off the light and dragging him into the bed. “Stay here with me,” Akaashi whispered as he tucked himself under the blanket. It wasn’t as though he really needed to say it. Bokuto wasn’t going anywhere.

“Yeah,” Bokuto said anyway. He crawled beneath the blanket, leaving a respectable amount of space between himself and Akaashi. But his hand closed the distance, finding Akaashi’s against the mattress, twining their fingers together.

As Akaashi’s eyes adjusted to the light, Bokuto’s sharp features came into focus. Akaashi’s free hand lifted to trace along Bokuto’s cheekbones. Bokuto leaned into the touch and sighed, the air warm against Akaashi’s wrist. Long, nimble fingers glided over Bokuto’s cheek, his jaw, his chin, over his soft lips. Bokuto pressed a kiss to his fingertips.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto whispered.

“Keiji.”

Bokuto’s eyes tilted up to gaze into Akaashi’s, practically shining in the darkness. Akaashi could feel the lips beneath his fingers lift into a muted smile.

“Keiji.” Bokuto tested out the word, his smile growing wider as he said it again. “Keiji.”

“Koutarou,” Akaashi replied.

The space between them disappeared, and suddenly Bokuto was kissing Akaashi again, stealing the air from his lungs. Akaashi’s fingers wound in Bokuto’s hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Bokuto’s hand rested gently against Akaashi’s hip, not quite holding him down, yet still keeping him from floating away.

Akaashi didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to lay here forever, kissing Bokuto, enjoying the way Bokuto’s thumb rolled along the line of his hip bone. But now, his eyes were growing heavy. And judging by the way Bokuto’s kisses were turning into lazy pecks against his lips, Akaashi was sure he wasn’t the only one getting tired.

“We can’t forget, okay?” Bokuto said.

Akaashi jolted, already teetering on the edge of sleep. “We won’t,” he replied, pressing his forehead against Bokuto’s. “We’ll remember.”

“Yeah… We’ll remember.”

* * *

 

Akaashi cracked open his eyes, wishing he’d remembered to close the blinds the night before. The sunlight blearing through the window was blinding. He smashed his face into his pillow with a frustrated huff. Somewhere nearby, there was a dog barking. And if he listened hard enough, he thought he could hear his mother downstairs making breakfast.

Just as he thought he might be able to go back to sleep for a few more minutes, his phone vibrated on the side table. Two short buzzes indicated it was a Line message. Sure, he could ignore it. But his hand was reaching for the phone before giving it a second thought. It was too bright as he tapped the message open, and he had to squint against the light to read it.

_> >Bokuto: AKAAAAAAAAASHI! WAKE UP U GOTTA TOSS TO ME BEFOR PRACTICE OR ELSE WERE NOT GUNNA WIN AT NATIONALS!!!_

Akaashi typed back a quick reply before rolling out of bed and padding into the bathroom.

_> >Akaashi: I’ll be there shortly, Bokuto-san._

Yes. It was just like any other morning.


End file.
